Dreaming of You
by SmartCookiesWithIcing
Summary: 6th year. Hermione has been having a strange dream about a boy at the upcoming Ball. She's dating Ron and thinks it's him, but dramatically things, people and feelings change; true selves are revealed. Ch. 3 is pretty good I think, not bad story either...
1. Deep in Thought

Hi there.

This is my first try at, what I like to call, a "real story" and I guess we'll see how that turns out…

(Disclaimer: It would be really awesome if I own Harry Potter, because then I would be rich, and able to buy affection instead of having to write "real stories" for it…)

And just a note: I just wanna say, I never approved of Ron and Hermione's relationship. For the longest I thought Harry and Hermione would be together, but that was proven wrong by Harry and Ginny, another relationship I don't approve of. All I'm saying is don't be surprised if you sense some hostility….

Here goes nuthin'… I guess…

Dreaming of You

**Chapter One: Deep In Thought**

"_I am thinking of you in my sleepless solitude tonight."_

The music engulfed her as strong hands spun her around again. The night of the Valentine's Ball had arrived, but for some reason everyone was wearing masks, including the boy holding Hermione in one arm and stretched to the sky as if he was trying to catch something.

The spectators around them applauded, as if they had just done something amazing. In her mind, they had. He lifted her from the drop and gave Hermione a smile that made her heart skip a beat. He reached to remove his mask,-

Hermione shot up in bed.

It was a dream…

Again.

She moved the sheets and headed for the chest that held her clothing. It was Sunday, and she was meeting Harry, Ginny and Ron for breakfast again, and was late… again.

She and Ron had been dating since Wednesday and every day since then had been a dream come true. She'd always felt for him and never dreamed he would return the feelings. She was, in a way, certain the boy in her dreams was him. At the same time she was unsure…

The boy was the same height as him and things like that, but when the boy would simply hold her hand… it was different.

As Hermione walked down the hall she figured it was up to her to find out who the boy was.

The dream started one night with her being led to the center of the Great Hall by this masked boy and whisked into a dance that lasted only a moment. Every night since then she would dream small parts of the dance, until last night.

Last night was the end of the song. He'd turned her into a long, perfect twirl, though she hadn't danced so well in years (since Miss Grace's Young Dancers Summer School.) As she spun cross him she fell into a drop, and was caught by his arm.

(AN: I just wanna say. I've never taken an official dance class, so I don't know if these "terms" are right, or if there are terms I should be using. This is just an idea I had, sitting on the toilet. I'm sorry.)

She's seen other people in Venetian masks like the boy. But what she really took note of was the couple next to them. The girl had on a mask of innocence, but the boy had a mask of what seemed to be an evil clown.

It was an odd couple, she thought, so there must have been type of meaning behind it.

"No, of course not," Hermione said to herself, as she entered the hall.

"I'm just being stupid."

"Well, that would be a first."

Ron was suddenly in front of her. She smiled at him, and he kissed her cheek.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Alright. You?"

"It was good."

She hadn't told her about the dreams and the strange masked people she'd seen. She didn't know what he'd think. He hadn't asked her to the Ball yet, and wasn't sure he was even going to. She didn't was to pressure him; he hated that.

Hermione was so deep in thought, she walked right into Draco Malfoy and his crew of idiots. They both dropped their things. His group snickered and, like she did, expected him to proclaim a clever "mud-blood" insult.

Crabbe or Goyle, she didn't remember which was which, dropped to the floor to retrieve his things for him. Draco took his things from the boy, turned and walked out of the Great Hall. His group, obviously slow, shuffled after him.

"Better run!" Ron called after them.

Hermione thought she'd told him something, but she was deep in thought again…

Dreaming of You

I feel like this is a shorter chapter, but it probably one of my longest.

The rest of the plot may seem obvious now…. But you're WRONG!

Sorry, but of it were that easy, I never would've posted it.

Anyways, tell me what you think will happen.

Tell me that you love it.

Tell me that you hate it.

Just tell me something…!

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**REVIEW!**


	2. Cut Me Down

Hi!

I was thrilled to see I had 5 reviews

(WHOOO! I'M ON A ROLL!)

And decided to continue.

My jerk of a computer wouldn't let me actually see them,

(GRR!)

But I saw them in my email.

(YAY!)

Also, I'm kinda pissed

(DON'T ASK…)

So I'm gonna relax and try to figure out what's gonna happen next in the story.

(HERE WE GO)

(DISCLAIMER:...the word should be enough…, and it better be 'cause that's all I'm gonna say… so there… nah!)

Dreaming of You

**Chapter 2: Cut Me Down**

"_I'm hearing what you say,_

_but I just can't make a sound…"_

_OneRepublic, Apologize _

"Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine, Ron."

"Rude."

"I wasn't looking. It's my fault."

"You did nothing-"

"Are you two seriously going to have this debate right now," Ginny asked. "Or can we eat breakfast?"

They were at the table now, and even though Hermione was talking and laughing with them like usual, but was still in her head the entire time. Why didn't he say anything? He would tease here even if she wasn't in the room, but she'd jus walked right into him, and she didn't even blink… It had her stumped.

"Aren't you hungry, Harry," Ginny asked him. He hadn't touched his food.

He gave Ron the death stare.

"Not really," he mumbled.

Ron didn't appear to notice….

"_Holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground"_

Hermione was walking back to breakfast from the bathroom. She turned a corner and was startled to see Draco Malfoy pacing in the middle of the corridor. His head was down and, he was twisting his fingers in his hands and looked as if he was deep in thought. She was trying to sneak passed him when she heard-

"Granger!"

She whirled around, and almost fell over.

His face was laced with, not anger, but amusement.

"Skipping class, I see…"

She stood up straight. "No, Malfoy, I am not skipping."

"Then, please share…"

"I'd rather not."

"And why is that?"

"It's none of your business."

"Oh, okay." He chuckled and turned from her.

Feeling defeated, Hermione crossed her arms.

"And what, might I ask, are you doing out here?"

He turned to her, and gave her a grin that made her heart stop.

"Well, _I'm_ skipping. I'm not afraid to admit."

"Well…" she said not knowing how to respond.

"Anyways, I'm sorry for bumping into you earlier…." She said, thinking it would be at least polite to apologize for her mistake.

He looked at her. Hermione felt like she was searching for sincerity. When he was satisfied, he said "It's alright." Apparently the conversation was over, because he walked away…

_"Tell me that you need me, then you go and cut me down…"_

"I can't _BELIEVE_ you!"

"Harry-"

"After everything she's done for us?"

"Look-"

"How could you be so-"

"Stop it, Harry! It's my life I'll do whatever I bloody want with it…"

Ron and Harry were arguing by a tree in the outskirts of Hogsmeade, when Hermione walked up to them. Suddenly, Ginny bounced to her side.

"Hey Hermione! Why don 't we go somewhere?"

"Go where-?"

"Not here!"

Ginny was pulling on Hermione's sleeve when Ron called over to her and motioned for her to come. Harry stalked away, pulling Ginny with him, much to her refusal.

"Hey, Ron."

"Hi."

"What was that about?"

"Don't worry about it. I gotta tell you something…"

Hermione's face fell, as well as her heart.

"…yea…?"

"You know we've been together for a little while…'

"…yea…?"

"…And, I gotta tell you, it's been great, but…"

"…but…?"

"I think we should see other people."

"…"

"I just think we'd both be happier with someone else…"

"…"

"I mean, I've been "_talking"_ to Padama-"

"You _WHAT_?"

"I just wanted to know what it would be like if-"

"You've been with her _behind my back?"_

"'Cause you know, I took her to the Yule Ball, and-"

"Why are you-?"

"Hermione, please understand. I'd hate for us to have a bad break up, then hate each other…"

"…"

"I just think we shouldn't hang out anymore…"

"…Things'll be too weird, you know?"

"…"

"Well, see you later, 'kay?"

He tapped her shoulder and walked around her to Padama who only a few yards away.

She turned to see, Harry and Ginny standing nearby with worried looks. She steadily walked passed them, and as Harry was about to say something, Ginny shook her head.

"Give her space…"

Hermione walked all the way back to the common room and up to bed without stopping or saying a word. She didn't even notice Draco, who was at the gate to Hogsmeade, watching her in shock. She left him and her heart dumbfounded.

Dreaming of You

I'm not sure what to say so…. Review please!

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	3. Dare You to Move On

Hi.

Um.

I'm sorry.

I absolutely hate when people do this.

And thank you to:

Voldyismyfather(sweet!),

One of the Fallen (awesome name!),

Aussie Panda (=D),

avalena (…pretty…!),

and

JAMES-LILY-SIRIUS-IRIS-4EVA (I like you!)

For your reviews and supports.

I believe 5 reviews is better than one.

(Disclaimer:...no. I'm not doing this. So there. Nah!)

Anyways, here goes…

Dreaming of You

**Chapter 2: Dare You to Move On**

"_Lift yourself up off the floor… Like today never happened before."_

_-Switchfoot, Dare You to Move_

"Hermione, please let this go!" Ginny yelled through the door to the girls room. Hermione had decided not to get up with everyone else, again.

"What for?" She yelled back, her voice muffled by the pillow her head was in.

"It's not like I need to go to class!"

"Because, this unhealthy, darling!" yelled Wendy, through the door to her.

(AN: Yes. A new character 1: because I love this name – It means friend! and 2: because I wanna be in the story too!)

Hermione said nothing.

"Hermione, I know you. You know you can't continue to live like this!" Ginny said.

Hermione said nothing.

"All we've done this week is review." Wendy said.

"We've reviewed everything, so today we'll probably starting something new, and _you're _going to miss it…"

Hermione sighed.

"_The tension is here…"_

When you're a teenager who is into gossip, you automatically know how to be subtle. There was a mix between these and the ones who didn't seem to notice they were rudely staring at Hermione walk to find a seat.

Hermione found some empty seats next to Harry. Harry gave a genuine grin when he saw her.

"I've been saving a seat for you every day, hoping you would come…"

"Thanks," she said as she sat down and Harry took her hand and squeezed it.

Hermione was hungry, but too busy watching people to eat. She first saw Ron farther down the table with Pavarti. They were surrounded by more popular, attractive people. Wonderful.

At a glance Hermione saw Padma sitting alone. She seemed unfairly plain next to her beautiful, confident sister. They were fraternal, so they didn't look the same, but they were close – they were always together. Now, Pavarti had moved on and left her sister in the dust.

Further down she saw Neville. He was sitting with Dean and Seamus and their girlfriends. For the first time, she noticed how unhappy Neville seemed with them. He had fun with Dean and Seamus, but when the girls were around, he seems to deflate.

Maybe he thinks he's not good enough for a girl to like him, Hermione thought.

A shudder of laugher thundered behind her. She turned to see the grandly arrogant Slytherins indulging in something someone had said. Everyone was smiling away, except one. She saw it was Draco. He didn't seem at all interested in what they were saying. He just sat staring blankly into his plate. Apparently, he wasn't hungry either.

"…_between who you are and who you could be…"_

Hermione opened her eyes.

She was backing away from the light of the Ball before her.

She was moving, but wasn't controlling it.

She turned and broke into a run down the corridor.

She rounded a corner and found a familiar hallway, with a familiar door.

Her feet led her to the door and felt her hands reach for the knob.

In an instant, she secluded in darkness, and she felt a whimper rise to her throat.

She had no time to fight it, and broke into tears.

Above the sound of her sobs, she heard a familiar voice:

"Fancy meeting you here…"

"How did you know it was me?" Her voice was soft, and broken.

"I know you." She heard the smile in his voice.

"Who are you…?" She whispered, feeling a vague relief and admiration.

"…Salvation…"

"…_between how it is and how it should be…"_

Hermione felt her shoulder shaking.

She looked up from the fold of her arms.

She'd slept through History of Magic.

She looked into Harry's worried face.

"I didn't want to wake you…" he said.

Hermione sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"… and I didn't want to leave you."

"Harry, you might be late to your next class-" She said, gathering her things.

"You _will_ be late to your next class."

He looked into her eyes, searching for answers to his troubled questions and a way to help her.

Hermione saw it, and guilt instantly engulfed her.

"Harry, you can't afford to be tardy – go to class. I'm fine."

"Hermione, I-"

"…are leaving, now."

He sighed and gave her a wave of his hand and a small smile, and left.

"_Salvation is here…"_

"I've caught you!"

Hermione turned to see Draco Malfoy walking towards her.

Much to her dislike, she became anxious.

"Caught me what?" She said, trying to hide the feeling of her throat closing.

"I've caught you skipping class."

"I don't see why my 'skipping' matters to you…"

He pointed to his prefect badge.

"I am a prefect. My job is to rid the halls of trouble makers."

She had a reflex to scoff, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

She rolled her eyes, and continued to walk.

"What must I do, Granger, to please you…?"

She decided to ignore the spontaneous and ridiculousness of the question and said:

"I dare you to go away."

"Then will you do something for me?"

"Anything for you to leave me alone…"

She felt his hand on her shoulder - his breath against her ear.

"I dare you to move."

Hermione stopped abruptly.

Her sense told her it was due to the vague randomness if this question, but she know it was because of something deeper.

"I dare you to get over this."

She turned to see him walking backwards, away from her.

"Where can you run to escape from yourself, Hermione?

Where are you going to go?"

She watched him walk back down the corridor and around a corner, without a backward glance.

Hermione's voice came out soft, and broken.

"You called me Hermione…"

" _I dare you to move, like today never happened… _

_today never happened before."_

Dreaming of You

I literally wrote out in AP US History was going to happen.

I wanted to make sure I did it right.

Personally, I think this chapter is pretty good.

It's definitely longer than usual.

I'm sorry for having everyone wait.

I'm putting the next chapter up, as soon as I figure out what to do.

_**Please review!**_

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	4. Roaming Around

I feel terrible.

I'm not even going to bother apologizing

(P.S. I'm soo sorry.)

Try and enjoy this

(Disclaimer: ….. What do **you **_think_ I'm going to say?)

Dreaming of You

**Chapter 4: Roaming Around**

"_You know that _

_I could use somebody… Someone you"_

_Kings of Leon, Use Somebody_

(A couple days later)

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Ginny had walked in on Hermione, who had been pacing in the girls rooms since breakfast that Saturday.

"You seem to never stop thinking," Ginny inquired. "So I was hoping you'd share…?"

Hermione had been going to classes and meals like she was supposed to. All the while, she could not get what Draco said out of her mind. She spent days trying to figure out what he was saying. She hadn't told anyone about her encounter with the boy, and though Ginny was her best friend, she wasn't going to now.

"It's nothing. I'm just- It's nothing" Hermione managed to get out.

"Mind if I come to Hogsmeade with you?"

Ginny smiled at her friend's lively offer.

"Of course you can!"

"_Always looking down at all I see. _

_Painted faces fill the spaces I can't reach"_

"Oh, excuse me Neville. I didn't see you there."

Hermione wait for a response from the boy sitting alone at a table, but Neville didn't do so much as stir. She decided to sit across from him.

"Neville…?"

Neville jumped , as though he had been sleeping, though he was very much awake.

"Oh, hello Hermione. I- uh. It's alright. You didn't have to- uh… Hi.

She gave him a friendly smile. He was obviously troubled.

"Where are Seamus and Dean? I thought they'd be here with you…"

"Oh, they were," Neville looked down. The cracks in the old wood of the table were suddenly very interesting.

"They went off with their girls. They said they'd be right back…. three hours ago."

"Oh, Neville, I'm sorry-" Hermione began.

"I'm fine Hermione. I prefer being alone."

Hermione never dropped her gaze.

"No, you don't."

Neville let a sigh.

"It's not fair. Why are some guys just born to be attractive, and likeable, and others born like me."

"Like what-?"

"With big ears, and feet, and clumsy, and stupid-"

"You're not stupid Neville!"

Hermione's heart instantly reached for him.

"You every bit as attractive or likeable as Seamus or Dean or anyone."

"You don't have to lie to me Hermione-"

"I'm not lying, Neville."

He raised from his seat.

"I hope you're right," he said. "Thanks for trying"

Hermione called after him as we went for the door.

"Where are you going?"

Without a backwards glance he said, "Does it really matter?" and he was gone.

"_I hope it's gonna make you notice… someone like me."_

While wandering aimlessly, (sort of) looking for Ginny or Harry, Hermione had made her way into Charms and Earrings, the girls store for girl things – things for that magical time of the month, books of beauty spells and hair charms.

Hermione was reasonably familiar, it was where she learned the charm to calm her hair for the Yule Ball. (A.N:...no it's not…)

Ron had told her about it.

She quickly changed her course to the opposite direction and found herself in front of Parvati Patil.

She was sitting on a bench across the path playing with her nails. She looked up at her reflection in the glass of the store, closed her eyes in despair, and went back to her nails. Hermione was at her side in moments.

"Hi, Parvati."

She looked up, then back down.

"Hi, Hermione." Then her head shot up and if she just realized something.

"I heard about you and Ron-!"

Hermione's friendly smile was gone in a blink.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry. It's so- I can't even say. I feel for you. I understand. You were too good for him anyway. He didn't deserve you."

This was the last think Hermione wanted to talk about, but she know the girl was just trying to help.

"Thanks, I appreciate it…"

"At least you _had_ a boyfriend…"

"What?"

"…I can't get a boy to give me a second glance."

"Uh-"

"I mean, Paddie has had so many boyfriends, she can't even remember them all."

"Parva-"

"I always go into that stupid store," gesturing to Charms and Earrings "and try to find something, anything, to make me more appealing…"

She sobbed. "Nothing ever works."

Hermione felt Parvati pulling her heartstrings.

"I just can't be as pretty as _you_, or my _sister_ or _Ginny_ or _**anybody**_!"

"Parvati, that's not true! What do you mean? Your beau-!"

"I'm sorry Hermione, you have enough on your mind. I shouldn't be boring you with my sob-stories."

Hermione shook her head. "No-"

"I apologize." Parvati snatched up her bag, tucked her head down to make she her feet were okay as she walked, and was gone.

Dreaming of You


	5. Hermione

All I can say is that I lost my pride and joy - my usb with ALL my stories on it, including this original I was working on, and in my dispair I was afriad to write any thing else.

This is what I really wanted to put next, so...there, it is.

(Disclaimer: I...whatever.)

Dreaming of You

**Chapter 5: Hermione**

_"I see you singin' on that stage - _

_you look just like an angel"_

_- Darren Criss, Sami_

Hermione wandered from the crowds at Hogsmeade.

She couldn't keep Parvarti out of her mind,

or Neville for that matter.

She'd never noticed how broken and fragile she seemed.

She didn't know Neville felt that way.

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts, she realized how far she had walked.

At first she didn't recogize it at first, but realized it was just somewhere she and Harry and Ron had probably hung around a year ago...

Ron...

There was a lurch in her stomach.

_"I've seen her face, I've heard her name..."_

Hermione started. She didn't think there was anyone out there with her.

_"I've lost my place and she's to blame..."_

"A guitar?" She thought. "Someone is singing with a guitar..."

_"I can't stand it when I'm starin' in her eyes..."_

She peered around a tree...

_"...and she's not lookin' back..."_

There was a boy sitting on a large rock. His back was to her, but she'd know the voice anywhere...

_"...It's not a big surprise."_

"Draco..."

_"I've heard music I've heard noise._

_I wish that she could hear her voice..."_

She could never imagine the boy's singing voice, and yet, there is was, gracing her ears.

_"...the way that I do when I go to sleep at night_

_and dream my life away..."_

Hermione (thought) she hated him, and wanted to leave him, but was unable to will her feet to move.

_"...but she's gone when I awake..."_

He stopped, and let out a big sigh.

She cringed, thinking he might have seen her.

The next line was soft, as though he himself were not allowed to hear the name...

_"Hermione..._

_Hermione..._

_Why can't you see..._

_...what you're doin' to me?"_

Hermione was frozen.

Part of her wanted to run.

Another part wanted to bombard him with questions.

The strongest part wanted to hear what he had to say.

_"The way your hair falls in your eyes_

_makes me wonder if she'll_

_ever see through my disquise,_

_that I'm under her spell."_

Her mouth was shaped in a small "Oh." as if she had suddenly come to a realization.

_"Everything is fallin' and I don't know where to land_

_She just knows where she is..."_

He'd paused again, and Hermione was holding her breath...

_"...but she won't know who I am."_

Hermione felt he wind leave her body. She almost crumpled from the emotion.

In all her surprise, her foot came down on a stray twig - loud enough to catch his attention.

With out checking her see if he'd turned around, she pushed away from the tree and fled to the common room, and didn't stop until she got there.

Dreaming of You

Last thing I wanted to say. First, I wanna thank Ellice Rose for commenting on my last chapter, and hope she read this one.

I was super happy "Hermione" fit so well into the song.

I wanna say, obviously Darren didn't write "Hermione," he wrote "Sami."

And if you haven't heard this song, LOOK. IT. UP. It's beautiful.

A couple extra disclaimers: that last line was written "but she don't know who I am," and I just changed it for the story, and I really don't know if "and she's gone when I awake" is what that line actually is, and I didn't wanna take the time to look it up... I just didn't.

Please Review! Even if you just put in a semicolon, I will be eladed. (Is that how you spell it?)


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